Slick (7 page)

She rolled her eyes and placed her hand on the side of her face. “I'm beginning to hate school, Sylvia. Darron and me always skip, but I never thought he would hit me over something so stupid.”

I balled my fist and put it on display. “That's just the beginning. And if you ever skip school again, I'm going to hurt you myself.”

Britney laughed. When her cell phone vibrated, she looked at it. “This is him calling me now.”

I held out my hand. “Give it to me.”

“No, Sylvia.”

“I said, give me the phone!”

Britney gave the phone to me. “Hello,” I said, sharply.

“Britney?”

“No.”

“Let me speak to Britney.”

“I don't think so. But let me warn you before you even think about putting your hands on her again. I will mess you up, Darron. If you don't believe me, hit her again. If you put your hands on her again, the last time anyone will see you will be on the news.”

He hung up, and Britney reached over to hug me. She laughed again. “You are so crazy. Thank you, but you don't have to worry about me seeing him again. Nobody ever put their hands on me before, not even my daddy.”

“Well, he should have. I'm not going to make excuses for you, Britney, but you need to get your act together. You don't need that cell phone, you need to stop walking around with those low-cut jeans on that show your thong, and must you get your nails and hair done every week? I work hard and I can't even afford to do that.”

“Every teenager I know got a cell phone, Sylvia, and the things I wear, everybody wears them. I guess you haven't seen my tattoo yet, have you?” She turned around and showed me BABY-B tattooed right above the crack of her ass with a rose next to it.

I shook my head. “That is ridiculous. Y'all need to stop trying to compete with each other and just be yourself. If attention is what you're looking for, because that's all it is, you won't get it if you're looking like everyone else around you. Be different, original. Then you'll see how much attention you get.”

“None,” she said, standing up and tucking her DKNY purse underneath her arm. She put her cell phone in her pocket and pulled her skimpy T-shirt down that showed her midriff. When I noticed her navel pierced, I stood up and looked at her.

“Let's go. You need some serious guidance, and some ice for that eye before it swells even more.”

Britney and I got in the car and left. Before heading to my house, we stopped at Dairy Queen and got two strawberry shortcakes with extra whipped cream topping and nuts. As we came through the door, we laughed because she dropped hers on the ground.

“Damn,” she yelled, then covered her mouth.

I gave her a hard stare, and then tossed my keys on the table. “Watch it, girl. You ain't that grown yet.”

“I'm sorry, but I really wanted that.” She plopped down on the couch.

I turned on the TV and called my neighbor, Steven, to ask if he wouldn't mind helping me with my flowers. Shortly after, he came over to get the keys to my car. Britney and I sat on the couch eating my strawberry shortcake and watched him bring the flowers in.

“My daddy must really love you. I have never seen so many flowers.”

“Neither have I. And the only people your daddy loves are you, his parents, and Dana.”

“I can't stand that bitch,” Britney said, covering her mouth again.

“Britney, that's my last time warning you. Young girls ain't supposed to curse like that. You are too much of a classy young lady to be using such foul language.”

Britney rolled her eyes, slid down on the couch, and continued to eat the strawberry shortcake. After Steven brought in all my flowers, I thanked him and stood at the door listening to him hint about us having sex.

“Must everything you do for me always have to end up with us having sex?” I whispered.

“Not always, baby, but you know you be putting something on a brotha's mind.”

I looked over at Britney who was all ears, listening to our conversation. “Maybe next time, okay?” I said, looking back at Steven.

“I'm cool with that. Just don't have me waiting so long and I'm right next door.”

“I won't, Steven, if maybe next time you figure out a way not to come in two minutes, darling. And even though you're right next door, I'm a tiny bit more excited about the brothas who last a lot longer than you.”

“Well, next time, you get them to help you with your shit. Don't be calling—”

His voice rose, so I slammed the door. “Tired, truly tired,” I said, walking back over to the couch and sitting next to Britney. She was cracking up. When I saw that she ate the shortcake, I snatched the empty container from her.

“Greedy, child. What in the heck happen to all of my shortcake?”

“You were running your mouth too long and I was hungry.”

“Well, go home and eat.”

“I don't like being at home.”

“Okay. You don't like being at school, you don't like being at home, and you don't like my friend Dana. Who or what do you like, Britney?”

“Dana is not your friend. And I don't like anyone but you and my daddy. I wish y'all had somehow hooked up. That way, I could have lived with y'all.”

I was quiet because that was not only her wish, but my wish as well. Thinking about Jonathan, I went to the kitchen to get Britney an ice pack for her eye. While I was getting it, she came in and sat at the kitchen table.

“Sylvia?”

“What?”

“What's up with this sex thing? I mean, I'm still a virgin but I have thought about it.”

“And that's all you need to do is think about it,” I said, giving her the ice pack. She placed it underneath her eye. “Britney, sex is a beautiful thing. But beautiful things aren't meant to be shared with any- and everyone. As a young lady, you need to have respect for yourself. I'm not telling you not to have sex because I have a feeling that you're going to do what you want to do. I'm just saying that life is about making choices, some good and some bad, but the bad choices are the ones that hurts us every time. We both know that it is not a good choice for a girl your age to be having sex, so with that being said, just know and understand the consequences.”

Britney smiled and laid the ice pack on the table. “Do you love my daddy?”

My mouth dropped open. “Wha . . . Why did you ask me that?”

“I don't know. I guess I kind of see something in you when he's around you and when you talk about him.”

“Yes, Britney, I love your father,” I said, standing up. “But, I'm not in love with him, if that's what you're asking.”

“If you say so.” She stood up and walked off to the bathroom. When the phone rang I answered it.

“What kind of friend are you?” Dana shouted.

I was silent for a second and my heart raced. “Wha—”

“Didn't I tell you I had something I wanted to talk to you about?”

I was relieved to hear that it wasn't about me and Jonathan. “Girl, I'm sorry. I completely forgot.”

“Can you meet me at CJ's in about an hour?”

“No, I can't. I have company right now.”

“Well, tell that Negro you got something else to do.”

“I will do no such thing. If you can't talk to me over the phone then it'll just have to wait until tomorrow.”

“Some damn friend you are,” she said, and then hung up. Feeling bad about not meeting Dana, I called her back and told her I could meet her in a few hours. When she declined to wait, I hung up on her.

Britney wanted to stay the night, but I insisted that she call Beverly to tell her she was on her way home. When Britney refused to call, I made the call to tell Beverly. Britney pouted and fell back in the chair.

“Let's go, Britney. I have to get up early for work tomorrow.”

“Why can't I stay here? You can take me home in the morning.”

“Because I'm sure your mother is worried sick about you. Besides, why sleep on my uncomfortable couch when you have a lovely room at home waiting for you?”

She jumped up and folded her arms. “Whatever. Now, I have to go home and listen to my mother's mouth about my face. If I tell her what happened, she's going to be mad at me for skipping school.”

“Okay, this time and this time only will I lie for you. I will tell her that the school called because you hurt yourself in gym, and since Jonathan was out of the office, I came to pick you up. I will, however, tell Jonathan the truth and you'll have to deal with him instead of her.”

“Fine,” she said with an attitude.

We headed to the car, and on the drive to Britney's house, she wouldn't stop questioning me about Jonathan. I didn't think my feelings for him were that obvious.

“Okay, Sylvia, if you don't want to be honest with me about your feelings for my dad, then tell me when you lost your virginity.”

“I am honest with you about my feelings and I lost my virginity when I was fifteen. After that, I turned into a promiscuous little something. I was screwing any- and everybody who wanted some.”

“Why? And then you have the nerve to tell me what you think I shouldn't do.”

“I only told you what I thought was best. And that little promiscuous little something who was screwing around with any-and everybody was the reputation I got for giving it up to a loudmouth Negro who wasn't worth my time. After my first time, it took me a long while before I had sex again because the rumors were damaging.”

Britney smiled, and when we got to her house, I went inside and lied my ass off to Beverly. I didn't feel good about doing so, but Britney was at a stage in her life where she needed someone to trust. Not only that, but she needed someone to depend on. And if Jonathan or Beverly wasn't there to make her feel at ease, I didn't mind her relying on me.

 

I was on a mission to find out what was going on with Dana. More so to find out who in the hell she was screwing. There was no way for me to continue on with our marriage and things weren't right. I worked too hard to be unhappy and it was high time that my life started to make sense.

The other day when Lewis was in my office, something hit me. If it wasn't the same cheap-ass cologne on him that I smelled on Dana, it was Sylvia's hateful ways toward him that sparked my curiosity. I really wasn't sure if I was on to something, but it was a start. I figured if I worked on Sylvia a little while longer, she would tell me everything I needed to know. I hated more than anything to put her in the middle, but there was no other way to find out the truth. I was desperate. And even though I had some feelings for Sylvia, finding out what Dana was up to was more important to me.

After I left the office, I went back home and watched for Dana to leave. When she did, I followed her. She drove to her parents' house, stayed there for a while, and then she drove to West County Plaza. Spending very minimal time there, then she drove to the movie theater and watched a movie alone. By eight o'clock, she checked herself into the Holiday Inn, and just when I thought my man was about to show, she checked back out two hours later. She called me numerous times, but I refused to answer my phone. By 10:30 p.m., she was back at home, calling it a night. I decided not to go home yet and got myself a room for the night. I wanted to go see Sylvia, but I also wanted to wait until I had a little more evidence. That way she wouldn't be able to deny me the truth about Dana.

Friday morning, I checked out of the hotel around seven. Trying to give Dana some ammunition, I went home and slammed the back door as I entered the house. My shirt was unbuttoned and it looked slouchy, hanging outside of my pants, as if I'd been out doing my thing. She rushed toward me, as I rushed to the bathroom to take a shower.

“Where in the fuck have you been?” she yelled, and then smacked my face.

I grabbed her hand to stop her from doing it again. “Stop! Get a hold of yourself and back the hell away from me.”

Dana's face was turning red she was so mad. “You have not called, nor have you been here for almost two days, Jonathan! For the last time, where in the fuck have you been?”

“None of your business. When you're ready to tell me who in the hell you've been screwing, then I'll tell you where I've been. Until then, don't expect me to come home because I won't.” I walked into the bathroom and slammed the door.

“What in the hell do you expect me to do?” she yelled and banged on the door. “I'm tired of being alone! You are never here for me, nor have you ever been here for me!”

I ignored Dana and took a shower. When I came out with no clothes on, I saw her sitting on the bed, wiping her tears.

“Do you want a divorce?” she asked.

“Only if you do.”

I went into the closet to find something to put on. Dana followed behind me and wrapped her arms around my chest. “A divorce is the last thing I want, but some things need to change around here.”

I removed her arms from around me and turned to look at her. “Some things like what, Dana? You have everything that you need. I treat you like a queen and that still isn't good enough. Yes, I'm a workaholic, but you knew that before you married me. The only question I have for you is, are you seeing someone else?”

She moved her head from side to side, denying it. “No, I'm not seeing anyone else.”

“Now is the perfect opportunity to come clean with me. I will not give you another chance again.”

“Jonathan, for the last time, I'm not seeing anyone else. You're accusing me because you're the one seeing someone else. If you want to be with her, then just say so. Don't put all your bull and insecurities off on me.”

I moved Dana aside and went into the bedroom. As I put on my clothes, she stood next to me and asked where I was headed. I told her to work, and then told her we'd continue our conversation tonight. After that, I left.

Having no intentions to go to work, I parked my car far down the street and waited for her to leave. When she did, I followed her again. This time, she stopped at the St. Louis Bread Company and had breakfast, and then she checked herself into the Holiday Inn again. Not knowing if her lover would show soon, I parked my car across the street and went inside the hotel. I asked for Dana's room number, and when the front desk clerk gave it to me, I headed up to Dana's room. Nervous, I stood by a vending machine in the hallway and watched.

As I started to feel down on myself for stalking my own damn wife, when I clearly said I never would, I decided to leave. I went to the elevator and pushed the down button. My head hung low, but when the elevator opened, I looked up and stared face to face with Lewis. His eyes grew wide and a sly smirk was on his face. I was surprised to see him with another woman on his side. He stepped off the elevator with his arm resting on her shoulders.

“Hey, Mr. T,” he said, and then slapped his hand against mine.

“Wha . . . what's up, Lewis?”

“Nothing. Just enjoying my few days of vacation. But, uh, this is Alisha. Alisha, this is Mr. Taylor. He is like the Man where I work and he's the one I told you about possibly hooking a brotha up.”

“Hello,” she said with a smile.

“Hi, Alisha. Lewis,” I said, shaking his hand. “Enjoy your vacation. Come see me when you get back to the office.”

“Will do, Mr. T. Most definitely, will do.”

Lewis and Alisha walked off, and before I got on the elevator, I watched as they walked right by Dana's room and went into another. Confused more than ever, I headed back to my car and left.

My mind was going a mile a minute. I couldn't think straight. The only conclusion I could come to was Dana, the woman I loved more than life itself, was having a threesome? Of course Lewis wouldn't go into her room after seeing me, but why get another room if they were all in it together? Something wasn't right, and I felt stupid for not being able to put my finger on this shit.

After having a late lunch, I chilled in my car for a while and waited for most of the cars in the parking garage to clear. By six o'clock that evening, I noticed most of the cars gone so I headed upstairs to my office. Being payday, mostly everyone had jetted. But when I heard the copy machine going in the copy room and saw the light on, I went into the copy room to see who was there. It was Sylvia. She had her back turned and had piles of paper stacked everywhere. I stood in the doorway and checked her out from head to toe.

Her gray short fuzzy skirt that she wore gripped every bit of her ass, as well as her hips that she often swayed from side to side to get my attention.

With Sylvia's back facing the door, I saw her glance at the round clock on the wall. I assumed she was ready to go, but I didn't want her to leave just yet. The room felt kind of stuffy, and I stepped up behind her, as she reached over to the thermostat to lower the temperature. She felt me press my body against her, and without saying one word, she lifted her hand to rub the back of my head.

“I need you, Sylvia,” I whispered with my lips close to her ear. “I need you now.”

Without hesitating, all she said was, “Take me now.”

I slowly removed the buttons on her silk blouse, one by one. I then pulled it open, massaging her breasts together and manipulating her hard nipples. She squirmed from the touch of my hands, and turned around to face me. We stared into each other's eyes, knowing that what we were about to do was wrong on so many different levels. I, however, inched Sylvia's miniskirt over the curves in her hips and eased her lace panties down to the floor. She happily stepped out of them then turned to face the copier. Afterward, she bent slightly over, and hiked her right leg on top of the copier, providing me with easier access to her pussy. I held her leg in place with one hand and unzipped my pants with the other. They dropped to my ankles, and it didn't take long for me to step out of my pants and shoes. I pressed my hardness against her round ass, but didn't enter her just yet. Wanting to taste her, I dropped to my knees and began to take light licks between her slit. Her pussy was staring me right in the face, and I couldn't help but to go deeper, causing her legs to buckle.

“Hold on, baby,” I said. “I need more of this.”

Sylvia nodded, but she couldn't get a hold of herself. My thick fingers kept circling her clit, and my tongue felt so good to her that she sprayed my face with her sweet juices. So eager for her, I cut her orgasm short and released my tongue from her insides, replacing it with my dick. Almost immediately, her breathing halted. She squeezed her eyes, and unsure of what she was thinking, I didn't move until she started bouncing her ass against me. The sounds of her pussy juices echoed in the tiny room, and the smell of sex scented the air, turning me on even more. I was hyped and could no longer remain quiet.

“Thi . . . this pussy is so wet and good, baby, that I can barely stand. I want this shit to last longer, so let's move over to the chair or table,” I suggested.

I hated to pull out of her, but as soon as I sat in the chair, Sylvia straddled me. I gripped her ass and pulled her cheeks far apart so my thick meat could fill her to capacity. We both moaned together, giving the chair a for real workout. It squeaked, rolled around, and almost tilted over as she gave me a damn good ride. Even better than Dana's riding skills. I wanted to say that shit out loud, but I was too caught up to say anything right now. My mind, however, was racing. I kept telling myself that this was wrong, and fuck Dana. Fuck her, and damn her for betraying me. I knew she was; I just had to find out more. Right now, Sylvia was helping me cope. I closed my eyes and lowered my head to suck her firm breasts. Sylvia stopped me, though. She lifted my head, causing me to open my eyes and look into hers. A slow tear rolled down her cheek, but she continued to ride me.

“I . . . I had to do this, Jonathan,” she said tearfully. “Please don't hate me for betraying Dana.”

I said not one word. All I did was rise up from the chair, and secure her in my arms. I laid her on the floor and maneuvered my body in between her legs. She wrapped them around me, and I rubbed up and down them before entering her wetness again. I continued to search into her eyes, looking for answers.

“I've had a rough day, Sylvia,” I finally said. “I'm hurting, baby, and I know you have the answers for me. Please, tell me. I'm begging you to tell me if Dana is cheating on me. If so, I need to know with who.”

I dropped my head on her chest, shielding the hurt that was visible in my eyes. Sylvia paused for a minute, and then she pressed her hand against my chest for me to back away from her. My limp dick slid out of her. I waited for a response.

“Jonathan, I told you before that—”

“Please!” I yelled, knowing that she was about to feed me a bunch of bullshit. “It is Lewis, isn't it? Just tell me, damn it! Is it Lewis?”

Sylvia quickly stood up and pulled down her skirt. I figured she was about to leave, so I rushed up from the floor and reached out to embrace her.

“I'm begging you, Sylvia, please. Just tell me if it's Lewis. That's all I need is a yes or no.”

Her mouth opened, but she hadn't said anything. Then there was a soft whisper. She whispered, “Yes,” and told me that Dana had been cheating with Lewis for the past three years.

After the admission, near tears, Sylvia ran out of the room. Stunned by the longevity of Dana and Lewis's relationship, I fell back in the chair, feeling numb. I placed my hands over my face and rubbed it up and down, as I thought about all I'd done for Dana. And for her to cheat on me with a brotha like Lewis was gut-wrenching.

When Sylvia came back into the room, I was a mess. My head was on the table and all I could ask myself was why. She rubbed the waves on my head, thanked me for the flowers, and told me if I needed a friend to call her. After that, she left.

Soon after she left, I put my clothes back on and went into my office. I looked at the thirty-six messages Sylvia had taken for me today and listened to several voicemail messages from Beverly who cursed me out for not meeting with her today about Britney. I had forgotten about our meeting. My mind was focused on nothing but finding out the truth about Dana.

And now that I knew, I didn't know what to do next. Was kicking her out and divorcing her the answer? I hadn't a clue. Either way, I knew I'd have to face her about what I knew and soon.

By the time I'd gotten home, which wasn't until one o'clock in the morning, my mind was in shambles. Surprisingly, I'd thought about killing both of the motherfuckers and calling it a day. I had no idea how I would react when I saw Dana, but I prayed to the Lord for Him to give me strength. If there ever was a time in my life I needed Him to keep me on the right track, it most certainly was now. And Lewis? Out of all the men she could cheat on me with, why him? What was it about this young, punk-ass fool that attracted her? One time, maybe, but for three damn years? What a serious fool I had been.

I quietly entered the house through the back door. Finally, in the kitchen, Dana had the nerve to leave a plate of food covered with a napkin on the table. Thinking that she probably wanted to poison my ass, I took the plate and threw it in the trash. When I entered the living room, she was in her normal place, which was knocked out on the couch with an empty bottle of wine next to her. I stood for a moment, and then I took a seat in a chair across from her and stared. Her hair hung down over her face. I could barely see her eyes. She was naked and had a towel covering her body. As I looked around at our beautiful home, I wondered what in the hell was missing? Everything we wanted, we both had. And if we didn't have it, we could always get it. So, why? I couldn't stop asking myself, why did she feel as if she needed something else?